RAVENMARK: Scourge of Estellion – An epic turn-based strategy game

But asnwer me this: Why couldn't a real Total War port work on the ipad 3 with its awesome resolution (you could scale in and out of the action like butter) and graphical power to handle at least Rome no?

Any of you know if Baldurs Gate will ever make it to iOS?
http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/03/15/ba…g-this-summer/

Or if the recent announcement named any specific platforms? Why do "real" gamers not want Baldurs gate on IOS to begin with and the potential for a lower price point and the comfort of playing it via touch input?

With so many more millions of new iPad customers daily, are gamers never among them? Why even release the same game we can already play on PC and not iOS?

The reason I mention that is because someone on here says "there are strong rumors its coming" but I never heard of these rumors anywhere else:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthre…59200&page=130

ALso, why da f@k was Viking Lords taken off the store?

Holy Sh@t!! I log into the App Store and find out there is a full-fledged hardcore PC wargame available on the platform:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battl…499901136?mt=8

WHy can't sega follow suit with a real total war game? Please explain how the platform cant handle its input or graphics or anything else?

Originally Posted by AppleIntimidation
Why do "real" gamers not want Baldurs gate on IOS to begin with and the potential for a lower price point and the comfort of playing it via touch input?

Because resources are finite, and there is a (at least somewhat legit) fear that too much work on iOS games will further sap resources from PC. Want proof? XBOX.

Originally Posted by AppleIntimidation
With so many more millions of new iPad customers daily, are gamers never among them?

iPad gaming is a bigger market than PC gaming, and the statement at the latest launch that there is a legit challenge to consoles is real. The iPad is as powerful as most consoles and has more powerful graphics, is more open in terms of options and connectivity … but controls are limited.

But controls should be perfect for a real total war game. Why do they have to dumm it down just so iPhone owners can enjoy it as fully when the real total war would be like crap on iPhone and not iPad (imagine how cool the zoom in and out would be on the iPad's new Retina). Look at that war game I posted. It is a full game and only for iPad. WHy cant Sega do that or port the early total wars for retro fans?

Originally Posted by AppleIntimidation
But controls should be perfect for a real total war game. Why do they have to dumm it down just so iPhone owners can enjoy it as fully when the real total war would be like crap on iPhone and not iPad (imagine how cool the zoom in and out would be on the iPad's new Retina). Look at that war game I posted. It is a full game and only for iPad. WHy cant Sega do that or port the early total wars for retro fans?

There ARE some good iPad only games, and I think we will see more and more. The new iPad is nothing short of stunning as a gaming device. But I agree that feeling the need to cater to smartphones as well as tablets holds things back.

I also finally bought Ravenmark a few days ago, by the way. What I don't understand is this (developer, pay attention!). Since they added iCloud support and the game is universal, why doesn't the game seem to support sharing of save games among devices!? It makes it sort of useless for me to play the game on more than just my iPad or iPhone, because I'd have to play every level twice. It's cool that my save games are, uhm, saved when I delete the game, but it's not enough.

I thought iCould support for a universal app implied save game sharing…

TXA, read the comments from here:
http://vita.ign.com/articles/122/1221188p1.html

Why are they so bitter and fearful against iOs? Even with games like the one I just mention, they refuse to accept there are full games on there or that there could be. And when one arrives they complain it costs too much. What do they want from the platform? I mean these so called hardcore gamers.

Just read this:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/94685…-ipod/62305510

Allll they do is constantly slam the platform and spread misinformation like it only has doodle jump and angry birds. And they never distinguish between iPad and iPhone.

Originally Posted by AppleIntimidation
TXA, read the comments from here:
http://vita.ign.com/articles/122/1221188p1.html
What do they want from the platform? I mean these so called hardcore gamers.

Reading those comments, and looking at those places expecting reasonable people … was your first mistake. It is really hard to find civil discourse regarding OS platforms of any type. This place - for all the crap I give re: Apple/Mac treatment in past years - is amazingly intelligent and reasoned.

Originally Posted by Thaurin
I also finally bought Ravenmark a few days ago, by the way. What I don't understand is this (developer, pay attention!). Since they added iCloud support and the game is universal, why doesn't the game seem to support sharing of save games among devices!? It makes it sort of useless for me to play the game on more than just my iPad or iPhone, because I'd have to play every level twice. It's cool that my save games are, uhm, saved when I delete the game, but it's not enough.

I thought iCould support for a universal app implied save game sharing…

Heya Thaurin, I guess the simple answer is that we haven't figured out how to do it properly yet. It's not that we aren't trying. Any attempts thus far has been a mess and our google-fu hasn't rewarded us with solutions yet. We've only gotten as far as to save your chapter unlocks, so you don't need to play one twice if you've beaten on any one of your devices.

We're a small team and we're doing our best. You'll be first to know if we find an elegant solution!

—

And to chime in about the perception of the iOS platform - I honestly think that media has deemed it a noob gamer device and it plays on a hardcore gamer's ego. Also, the pricing is something we've been contending with in the office constantly. Truth of the matter is that until the platform is seen as a legitimate gaming device, people will always assume that games on it should be cheap. And we pander to them as developers.

This is why I think Avernum's creator, Jeff Vogel, has it right. It's we developers who are choking ourselves, trying to constantly undercut ourselves.. it's this that makes people scoff at iOS games. We look desperate and cheap.

All of this, explains why I put my foot down and said we will charge what we're worth and we will never do special discounts. The most I'll do is drop the price when Ravenmark's life cycle is at its end for a last hurrah.. and that's not gonna happen for at least another year.

Originally Posted by Tebius
All of this, explains why I put my foot down and said we will charge what we're worth and we will never do special discounts. The most I'll do is drop the price when Ravenmark's life cycle is at its end for a last hurrah.. and that's not gonna happen for at least another year.

This is why we need a Like button for posts

@ Tebius, re: iCloud. Sorry that I can't quote; I'm on my iPhone because me PC has crashed, grrrr! Didnt know solid state drives could crash, too.

Good to hear that chapter unlocks work—l will have to check it again, because last time my iPhone progress wasnt there on my iPad and I found no way to load manually. May e I had iCloud configured wrong, I dont know. If chapter unlocks are in, I take back every word. I appreciate how difficult implementing a proper save state mechanism is. I think I saw you post about it before.

Ravenmark is one of the best turnbased strategy titles on iOS and you're supporting it well. Thank you for that!

Originally Posted by Thaurin
@ Tebius, re: iCloud. Sorry that I can't quote; I'm on my iPhone because me PC has crashed, grrrr! Didnt know solid state drives could crash, too.

Good to hear that chapter unlocks work—l will have to check it again, because last time my iPhone progress wasnt there on my iPad and I found no way to load manually. May e I had iCloud configured wrong, I dont know. If chapter unlocks are in, I take back every word. I appreciate how difficult implementing a proper save state mechanism is. I think I saw you post about it before.

Ravenmark is one of the best turnbased strategy titles on iOS and you're supporting it well. Thank you for that!

Cheers man! Do keep me posted!

Originally Posted by Tebius
Cheers man! Do keep me posted!

Oh, I get it now. Previously, I was just hitting "Continue" and it remembered my position from when I started it on the iPad. The chapters that I unlocked on my iPhone are still unlocked on my iPad, but I have to go to them using Campaigns. Makes sense, of course. Sorry for claiming iCloud didn't work as you'd expect.

Originally Posted by Thaurin
Oh, I get it now. Previously, I was just hitting "Continue" and it remembered my position from when I started it on the iPad. The chapters that I unlocked on my iPhone are still unlocked on my iPad, but I have to go to them using Campaigns. Makes sense, of course. Sorry for claiming iCloud didn't work as you'd expect.

No problem, dude. Just happy to hear everything is working. =D

Looks like a sort of game I would like to play.

However, with no Android or PC version, I guess I will pass my turn, sadly.

Oddly, some developpers who previously released some games on both platform took the other option and decided to go the Android road. Such as http://mangobile.com/ . They explained that sales were just better on Android… and it's easy to understand, it's the Number 1 platform for mobile phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9ufTw1fGY

Originally Posted by AppleIntimidation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9ufTw1fGY

STFU … seriously.


Back on topic - THANK YOU for the latest update! With my new iPad 3 I finally got around to starting a new campaign and things looked 'funky'. Was going to report it, but then the update arrived. Awesome as always!